America Celebrating Dairy Month During June

June 10, 2005

I urge all New Yorkers to celebrate National Dairy Month during this month of June, and to take this occasion to offer special thanks to our state’s dairy farmers for their hard work and vital contributions for making New York the third-largest producer of dairy products in the United States.

New York has over 7,500 dairy farms across the state and more than 670,000 milk cows that produce, on average, more than 1 billion pounds of milk a month. Milk sales account for more than half the state’s total agricultural receipts. New York is the No. 1 producer of low-fat and creamed cottage cheese, and ranks third for production of cheese.

Our farmers are the backbone of our economy, which is why we must support them by buying local agricultural products to ensure their businesses remain productive and profitable.

While honoring our dairy farmers, consider these facts from the Farm Service Agency:

One cow over its lifetime can provide 200,000 glasses of milk

The first patent for margarine was granted in 1869 to a French chemist

As part of our month-long celebration, the always successful Dairy Day was again held in Albany on June 7 in the Legislative Office Building. This fun and informative event offered the public a chance to sample New York’s dairy products, as well as meet representatives of companies and organizations that help keep our state’s dairies in the forefront of the economy and enable our residents to live healthier lifestyles.

I am proud to join my colleagues in celebrating an industry that keeps New York strong – both physically and economically. It’s important to support our family farmers by buying local agricultural products to ensure that New York’s No.1 industry remains productive and profitable. Buying local also ensures we serve our families the freshest and most wholesome foods.